The Trigger
by battleshipzhurrick
Summary: A retelling of Varrick and Zhu Li's scene on the train car through Zhu Li's POV. One thing is clear: Zhu Li never loses sight of her goals.


Zhu Li's employer had been bouncing around all morning. In fact, he had demanded very little of her attention at that time since his attention was so occupied in his ideas and in his work. With precious minutes of time at her disposal, Zhu Li managed to accomplish a number of tasks that she had been running behind on since they had joined up with Kuvira. She was putting in a phone call to the financial department of Varrick Global Industries when Varrick burst into the room. He shoved a lab coat and a pair of goggles into her hands.

"Get dressed, Zhu Li, it's time to DO SCIENCE!" He bounded out of the room, fully expecting Zhu Li to follow him.

In a flash of movement, Zhu Li put on the lab coat, pocketed her glasses, and put the goggles down over her eyes. She had no idea why she was wearing the lab coat this time around, but she had learned long ago that asking questions like that got her nowhere. Within a minute, she was at her employer's side in the train car with the laboratory.

Varrick rubbed his hands together. "This is it, Zhu Li. Experiment 3-02... the experiment that will prove my hypothesis correct! 100%! No contest. Do the thing."

Zhu Li rushed for the camera and went to work setting it up. "Sir, shouldn't we wait until after the experiment is a success before we film it? It might be more econom-"

Varrick threw his hands up in the air. "There's no time for that Zhu Li! I am so confident in the experiment's success, that I know we're not going to need a retake. You'll see. Now, let's get this started!"

Of course, he couldn't wait for the camera to actually start rolling before he was standing in front of it, making faces, and generally being impatient despite the fact that it hadn't even been a minute yet. Once the camera started rolling, however, her ever-demanding employer was once again like a child in a candy store with a bit of charming flair for dramatic effect.

Zhu Li couldn't deny that it was enjoyable watching him when he was like that. She didn't even really mind that he had named the weight of the spirit vines after her. She didn't get excited by much in life, but the way Varrick moved and talked about his experiment made the excitement almost contagious.

"It's registering six Varricks of power! Now seven!" Varrick exclaimed, the gleeful note in his voice unmistakable.

It looked like those late nights her employer had put in thinking about the project were about to pay off. Zhu Li started to smile. But then, the bulbs that registered the power of the spirit vine overloaded to the point of exploding.

"Whoa! What is this? What's going on?"

That... didn't sound good. The air suddenly became hot around her. There was audible groaning and crackling coming from the machine. Zhu Li saw a flash of purple light, and out of reflex stepped back. The hair stood on the back of her neck. That bolt of energy had nearly hit her.

Varrick dove to the ground. "SHUT IT DOWN, ZHU LI. There's too many Varricks!"

Adrenaline kicked in, and Zhu Li rushed to the machine, pushing down any fear that might have paralyzed her. She pulled the lever down to shut off the machine.

It didn't stop anything. The noise level increased from within the machine, purple sparks of energy shot from the stasis capsule and other parts of the machine. Zhu Li's eyes widened. It wasn't shutting down.

She tried pulling the lever up, and then pulling it down again.

It wasn't shutting down. _It wasn't shutting down. Spirits, it wasn't-_

A flash of purple light blinded her, and an indescribable sound, like that of a horn being played at a volume no instrument could possibly make, filled her ears. The shock from the blast shook the train car, and Zhu Li was on the ground. Her sight recovered quickly, but her ears were still ringing from the sound of the blast. Her entire body felt like jelly, and she had trouble orienting herself. She was vaguely aware she was sliding over the floor.

At the last possible second, she became aware she was _sliding out of the train. _Instinctively, her hands grabbed at the edge. She tried to pull herself up, but there was nothing for her feet to hang onto and give her some lift.

"Sir!" She wasn't sure if Varrick was still on the train or not. A panic gripped her heart. She hoped so. And not just because she wasn't sure she'd be able to pull herself up.

In a moment, Varrick came into view. Zhu Li had never been more relieved to see him. He grabbed her by the wrists and started to pull her up.

Her heart sank again when he struggled with the task.

"Rrrr! You're too heavy. Y'know, you could stand to lose a few Zhu Lis," Varrick told her.

Zhu Li decided she could be annoyed with him later- when her life wasn't in immediate danger. "I think you're just weak, sir. Pull harder."

For a split second, she felt unsettled and anxious. They had been together for so long. He wouldn't just leave her like this or give up, would he?

Then, she saw his face become more determined, and with one final growl, Varrick pulled Zhu Li up. Zhu Li felt herself fly upwards before landing on top of the fit, but hardly at all muscular, Varrick. Her heart was still hammering in her chest. His was, too, she noticed. She pulled herself up and lifted her goggles to look at him.

"Varrick... you saved me," she said. This was a first. It had always been the other way around, but this time, he had saved her. He hadn't even hesitated in the slightest. It was undeniable evidence that he cared about her. She had always suspected that he had some kind of sentimental attachment to her due to their long history together, but now... now, she had proof. Her heart continued to pound as she looked into those ice blue eyes. Varrick pulled himself up slightly, his eyelids lowering about halfway.

Zhu Li didn't dare move a muscle, completely entranced by the look on his face. His hand, rough and warm, came up to cup her face. Then, his other hand joined it.

Zhu Li felt her body starting to heat up, and her heart beat faster. It was difficult trying to organize her thoughts and feelings. She couldn't understand what was happening to her; though, she had some idea about what was about to happen next.

"Of course, I saved you," Varrick said softly.

He was leaning in closer to her. She could almost feel his breath on her lips. Then, at the last minute, his eyes went wide. Zhu Li, having never been adept with emotions, couldn't quite tell what that look in his eyes meant. Realization? Shock? Fear? Horror? A part of her cringed at that last one.

"I can't clean this mess up by myself!" Varrick had turned her face to look at all the damage the spirit energy had done to the train car. He sat up quickly, throwing her off of him. "Grab a broom!"

Of course, this was not at all what Zhu Li was hoping would happen. She shot him a look and grabbed the broom. It had been too much to hope for, she supposed. At that point, Kuvira and Baatar Jr. came in, and Zhu Li busied herself by beginning the task of cleaning up the mess. She decided that the adrenaline and nearly losing her life had caused her to be irrational. Whatever she thought she had seen in her employer's face in those few moments had been nothing more than adrenaline-induced delusion. It was clear her employer would never think of her as anything more than an assistant, and perhaps a friend, when he was in a good mood. Just as well. It was unprofessional of her to even toy with the idea of them being anything more than employer and assistant. She vigorously swept up some broken glass.

"It's like I'm concerned with others, and there's this nagging voice in my head constantly telling me what's right from wrong," Varrick told Kuvira.

Zhu Li swept near him. "I believe that voice is your conscience, sir." She had only caught snippets of the conversation. Varrick didn't want to continue the project, which surprised her somewhat but not entirely. Her employer liked crazy risky, but even he had lines he didn't cross. He had always had a conscience; it was all a matter of selective hearing. But she doubted he could have felt that much concern. After all, she had nearly lost her life, and it was business as usual. She shot him another look.

"Sorry, no. I really got to stand my ground on this one, and-WHOA!"

Zhu Li had glanced away from him mid-sentence, but she immediately looked back to him upon hearing the alarm in his voice. Her eyes widened. Varrick was hovering in mid-air, the metal shoulder pauldrons bunched up around his neck. She glanced at Kuvira. Metal-bending stance. Her eyes narrowed.

"And now, a voice is telling me I should drop you on the tracks."

Zhu Li's breath caught in her throat. She must have run through over a dozen scenarios, a plan of attack and rescue, but she calculated each one had a high probability of failure. The failure of which could cost her employer or herself their lives or worse.

Kuvira had taken a few steps forward and bent the metal around Varrick's neck so that the man was hovering over the train tracks. "Should I listen?"

Zhu Li's eyes left Kuvira and followed Varrick. He was helpless up there. For all of his brilliance, there was no way for him to get out of the situation without completely appeasing Kuvira's demands. Zhu Li's eyes darted about the train car, looking for something, anything, that could give her an edge or help her save Varrick. But there was nothing. There was nothing she could do.

She was helpless. Zhu Li watched Varrick beg for his life. The adrenaline was back, and she was terrified and frozen. When Kuvira finally threw him back onto the train car, she released the breath she had been holding. He was alive.

She rushed to his side and put a hand on his shoulder, just as Kuvira and Baatar were turning their backs on them. Zhu Li stared at Kuvira's back with a hardened look in her grey eyes.

Varrick was alive. But he was not safe.

Zhu Li offered Varrick her hand to help him up. He said nothing, accepting her help and getting to his feet. He dusted his outfit off and attempted to push at the pauldrons on his uniform. He frowned when they didn't budge. "Zhu Li, make a note. Get rid of these things as soon as we've ditched this crazy train."

Zhu Li nodded. "Yes, sir."

Varrick looked at the giant hole in the train car. He had an intense look on his face, the kind of look he had when he was thinking quickly. He rushed for some of his tools and began to fiddle with some of the broken machinery. Zhu Li handed him a screwdriver when he required it to continue his work.

It was only a couple of minutes later when a few of Kuvira's soldiers came in. Varrick and Zhu Li glanced at each other. Varrick grinned at them. "Fellas, hey. Why don't you give me another hour, and we'll-"

He was seized roughly by the arms and escorted out of the train car. "Hey, easy on the manhandling. Zhu Li just ironed this uniform this morning, HEY, don't rush me..." Her employer complained the whole step of the way.

A single, young soldier started to seize Varrick's assistant. Zhu Li leveled a cold stare at him, a stare so cold, it could have frozen over a lake. The soldier hesitated.

"I will come quietly," Zhu Li said, her voice a soft monotone with only a hint of an edge in it. The soldier decided to follow behind her.

They were taken to a train car and locked within it. Varrick beat against the door with one of his fists. "Hey, you can't keep us in here! We're not your prisoners! Hey, get back here! I'm a billionaire! You can't treat me this way; I HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO BUY AND SELL YOU A THOUSAND TIMES OVER." The ranting kept up for several minutes.

Zhu Li checked for an escape route. She noticed right away, of course, that there was a hatch in the ceiling. She frowned a moment. It seemed almost too easy. Were Kuvira's soldiers really that incompetent?

She glanced at her employer who eventually wore himself out from his ranting and retreated to the railing near some steps to sulk and engage in panic behavior. She didn't think it wise to begin an escape plan while he was still reeling from his ordeal.

Zhu Li began to make a pot of calming tea. She had regained control of her feelings. She didn't feel much of anything now. The memory of Varrick hanging in the air over the train tracks was still fresh in her mind, but now she looked at it from a colder, more rational perspective. It took her only a moment to realize that the perspective did not have much to do with rationality at all. No, it was something different. It was a perspective singly focused on Kuvira. The perspective brought her a familiar sense of purpose. After all, was not the purpose of a cold, heartless war machine to destroy another cold, heartless war machine?

She glanced back to Varrick who was running his fingers through the dark curly locks of his hair. Yes. As a cold, heartless war machine, that was her purpose. But as Varrick's ever-loyal assistant, her first responsibility was to keep him safe. The two goals did not have to be mutually exclusive.


End file.
